Kenya's Dependency on Donor Funding Affecting Fight Against HIV/AIDS, NGO Consortium Head Says

Kenya's dependency on donor funding is hindering the country's efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, Allan Ragi, executive director of the Kenya AIDS NGOs Consortium, said recently, the East African Standard reports. According to KANCO, donor funding accounts for 98% of the resources needed to run HIV/AIDS initiatives in Kenya. "The fact that Kenya largely depends on donor funding to fight HIV/AIDS raises questions of sustainability and highlights the need for the government to increase its contribution to the national response," Ragi said. According to the Standard, some civil society groups have questioned the government's commitment to meet targets set at a 2001 summit in Abuja, Nigeria, that call on countries to place HIV/AIDS at the center of development plans and provide leadership in the response to the disease. Although Kenya has made some progress toward meeting these targets, some groups have raised concerns over the country's dependency on donor funding, the Standard reports.

In addition, some groups have called on political parties in Kenya to clearly state their commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. "We need a framework to hold governments accountable," Ragi said. He added, "We can then lobby for action and hold the government accountable for the international agreements it has ratified" (Anyangu, East African Standard, 12/13).

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